Trial Run

Sunday got the benefit of a trial run with most of my gear on the bike, fully loaded as if I were to take her out for a longer ride. (Yes, I called the bike a "her." Get over it Lani, don't want to hurt her feelings!)

The Vstream windshield was fantastic. I could really feel the added resistance from both the additional weight in the saddlebags and the windshield, but the handling remained true. It also did just fine in crosswinds.

I finally mounted the vista cruise only to discover that it blocks access to the starter button. However, it was a nice convenience and worked reasonably well when I needed to move my right hand about.

The Garmin iQue 3600 mount worked very well, though I did manage to shake loose the power cord on one occasion. I believe this was due to the proximity of the holder to the master cylinder. After a quick adjustment of the RAM mount, all was well for the duration of the ride.

The video camera did it's job. However, at speeds over 15 mph the video upon replay shook drastically from wind blast that got around the vstream and hit the handlebar. I'm not sure what I can do about this other than try to get it more centralized in respect to the windshield and away from the wind blast.

The glove box was handy, though it requires glove removal to take items out. It was nice not having to carry essentials in my pockets, though isn't that what a tankbag is for?

I had a little extra room in the tail bag and right saddlebag. This is where my clothes and spare food will go. If I leave the bike, the electronics will find its way into the right saddlebag. I won't carry much in the way of food, so that will help. I did pack a collapsible cooler which can be bungeed onto the FJR's small luggage rack so I can pick up food at the end of the day as I head to my final resting spot for the day.

I'm going to remove the Rifle tuning block from the windshield and see if that improves what little buffeting remains when it's all the way up. I'm most impressed with this shield - moreso than the Rifle or tall Yamaha.

The headlights have finally been adjusted properly. The heated grips work fine, too.

I think a trial run next weekend is now in order!